A new approach to treating Alzheimer’s disease, focused on strengthening the brain’s waste disposal system, has shown promising results in animal models. The strategy, which acts on a receptor called DDR2, reduced toxic proteins and improved memory in mice, although experts warn that there are still uncertainties regarding its application in humans.
Improving the brain’s waste elimination system has gained prominence as a strategy to combat A recent study indicates that a new therapeutic route can attenuate brain changes and associated symptoms.
The technique allowed remove toxic protein agglomerates in mice, leading to improvements in performance on memory and learning tests.
It is thought that the accumulation of misfolded proteins, such as beta-amyloid plaques e tau tanglesis at the origin of the disease. However, although some medications can reduce these plaques, the clinical benefits have been limited.
Given this, researchers are looking for alternatives, such as reinforce the brain’s natural “cleaning” mechanisms.
DDR2: a new target
“If we block the DDR2 pathway, there may be less production of beta-amyloid and, at the same time, greater elimination of these residues”, says the researcher, cited by
DDR2 has been studied in the context of pulmonary fibrosis, a disease in which the extracellular matrix becomes dysfunctional, leading to excessive collagen accumulation and reduced oxygen delivery to cells.
“This oxygen blockage may be associated with memory and reasoning problems,” says Li.
However, This hypothesis has not been fully proven.
Brain tissue analysis
By analyzing databases and brain samples, the team found that DDR2 is rare in healthy tissue, but appears in large quantities in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s.
“We confirmed high levels of DDR2 in brain tissue from patients”, says the researcher .
Scientists have identified three types of cells with increased DDR2 during the disease:
Antibody to block DDR2
Researchers developed a monoclonal antibody to block DDR2 that they experimented with andm mice with Alzheimer’s, and observed:
- improving memory and learning
- reduction of amyloid plaques
- strengthening the glymphatic system
Caution from the scientific community
Independent experts consider the encouraging results, but warn of limitations.
In an interview with New Scientist, Shiju Gu, from Harvard University, highlights that the disease is complex and “I would raise a big question mark here in terms of reversing Alzheimer’s.”
Human clinical trials
Researchers are developing a clinical trial to monitor DDR2 levels in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s, in order to determine where to direct the antibody.
Furthermore, they are developing smaller versions of the antibody, capable of better crossing the blood-brain barrier.
A complex and growing disease
Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia worldwide. According to data frequently cited by international health organizations, it currently affects more than 55 million people and could reach 138 million by 2050, as the population ages.
It is a multifactorial disease, whose origin involves several biological mechanisms. This complexity helps explain why new therapeutic approaches continue to be sought, including the reuse of existing drugs for other pathologies.
